Knee pad

ABSTRACT

A KNEE PAD FOR PROTECTING THE KNEES AND CLOTHING OF WORKERS ENGAGED IN LAYING THE FLOORS OR IN PRODUCING EPOXY AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIAL FLOORS, COMPRISING A SOLE OF MOISTURE RESISTANT MATERIAL, A CUSHIONING MATERIAL LAYER OVERLYING AND FASTENED TO THE SOLE, MEANS FOR HOLDING THE PAD ON THE KNEE OF A WEARER, A CUFF EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE FRONT AND FORWARD SIDES OF THE SOLE HAVING ITS LOWER EDGE CONFINED BETWEEN THE SOLE AND CUSHIONING LAYER, AND A PLURALITY OF SPIKES OR CLEATS DEPENDING FROM THE SOLE AND LOCATED IN SPACED RELATION ADJACENT EACH LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE OF THE SOLE, WITH AN ADDITIONAL CLEAT LOCATED IN THE CENTER FORWARD AREA AND ANOTHER IN THE CENTER REARWARD AREA OF THE SOLE, TO PREVENT TIPPING OR SLIDING OF THE PAD WHEN THE WEARER SHIFTS HIS WEIGHT SIDEWISE, THE LOCATION OF THE CLEATS BEING SUCH THAT THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE SOLE IS FREE OF CLEATS AND ADAPTED TO CONFORM TO THE CONTOUR OF THE KNEE IN USE.

v Feb.2,1 971 A. MALISANI, JR

KNEE PAD Filed July 50, 1969 FIG.3

INVEN'IUR. Ari Mal/sum, Jr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,559,211 KNEE PAD Art Malisani, Jr., 474 W. Easter Ave., Littleton, Colo. 80120 Filed July 30, 1969, Ser. No. 845,997 Int. Cl. A41d 13/06 US. Cl. 2-24 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A knee pad for protecting the knees and clothing of workers engaged in laying tile floors or in producing epoxy and other plastic material floors, comprising a sole of moisture resistant material, a cushioning material layer overlying and fastened to the sole, means for holding the pad on the knee of a wearer, a cuif extending upwardly from the front and forward sides of the sole having its lower edge confined between the sole and cushioning layer, and a plurality of spikes or cleats depending from the sole and located in spaced relation adjacent each longitudinal side edge of the sole, with an additional cleat located in the center forward area and another in the center rearward area of the sole, to prevent tipping or sliding of the pad when the wearer shifts his weight sidewise, the location of the cleats being such that the central area of the sole is free of cleats and adapted to conform to the contour of the knee in use.

This invention relates to a knee pad and more particularly to pads which are worn by workers engaged in laying tile floors or in producing epoxy and other plastic material floors which require the worker to kneel on sticky or plastic surfaces or concrete or other substrate during the process.

The object of the invention is to provide knee pads which are comfortable to wear, which protect the knees and clothing of the wearer from contamination by the materials used in the flooring, and prevent the knees of the wearer from becoming sore from friction or pressure thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide the pads with depending spikes or cleats located on the sole so that the worker can move his body freely and shift his weight sidewise so as to reach different areas of the work Without danger of tipping or sliding unintentionally while kneeling on sticky or plastic surfaces during the process of producing a floor of the type described.

The avoidance of clothing contamination by epoxy and other plastic materials is an important feature of the invention because these substances cannot be removed by washing or dry cleaning. The objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings and following specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational side view of a knee pad embodying my invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the forward portion of the pad, in the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale.

FIG 4 is a top plan view of the forward portion of the knee pad.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the knee pad comprises a relatively flat sole 10, of leather or other suitable moisture resistant material, a layer of sponge rubber or other cushion material 11, a front cuif 12 of leather or other suitable moisture resistant material, strap members 13 each having one end inserted between the sole 10 and layer 11 and attached thereto at opposite sides by rivets 14, and a buckle 15 ice on one of the strap members 13. The cushion material layer 11 is cemented to the sole 10 by cement 16 or other suitable means. The cuif 12 is shaped to extend upwardly from the forward end and sides of the pad, its lower edge being turned in between the sole 10 and cushion layer 11 and retained by the cement 16 and three rivets 17.

A plurality of spikes or cleats 20 are attached to the sole 10 to depend therefrom. Each cleat 20 comprises a slightly dished metal plate 21 which has its convex surface exposed and its concave surface facing the sole 10, and provided with holes 22 as shown in FIG. 2. A tip 23 depends from the center of each plate 21. The tip is rounded on its lower end. An externally threaded stud 24 extends upwardly from the center of the plate 21 for engagement with an internally threaded sleeve 25 anchored in the sole 10. Thus the cleats 20 as a whole are removable from the sole 10 by unscrewing the threaded stud 24 from the sleeve 25. This construction provides for replacement of worn cleats 20.

The location of the cleats on the sole is important. Preferably eight cleats are located as shown in FIG. 2, four at each side, in the area adjacent the perimeter of the sole 10. Two additional cleats are located midway between the opposite sides of the sole but spaced from the center so that the central area is free of cleats. One of the two cleats may be described as located centrally of the forward end of the sole and the other as located centrally of the rearward end of the sole, leaving the central portion of the sole as a whole free of any cleats. This is the area which is opposite the knee cap of the wearer when the device is strapped in place by the straps 13 and retained 'by the buckle 15. Freedom from cleats in this central area enables the pad to conform to the contour of the knee.

In use, it has been found that the two central cleats perform the important function of preventing tipping of the pad when the wearer bends bodily to one side or the other to a substantial degree. The two central cleats become slightly worn before the other eight cleats show wear, but after the initial Wear takes place whereby the length of the two cleats is reduced, the amount of wear on all the cleats remains uniform. This initial wear is noted particularly when the pads are worn by workers on cement substrate. This initial slight wearing of the two central cleats does not detract from their anti-tipping functions, but is evidence of their effectiveness in cooperating with those cleats located adjacent the perimeter of the sole for supporting the wearer in selected positions without likelihood of slippage due to the character of the plastic and other materials of the surfaces on which they are being used.

I claim:

1. A knee pad comprising (ale; relatively fiat sole of moisture resistant materia (b) a layer of cushioning material overlying and cemented to the sole,

(0) means for holding the pad on the knee of a wearer,

(d) a plurality of cleats fastened to and depending from the sole, located adjacent the longitudinal side edges of the sole, and

(e) a pair of cleats fastened to and depending from the sole, one approximately in the forward center portion of the sole and the other approximately in the rearward center of the sole; leaving the central area of the sole free to conform to the contour of the knee of the wearer.

2. The knee pad defined by claim 1, which includes a cuff extending upwardly from the forward end and sides of the sole, having its lower edge confined between the sole and cushion layer, and means fastening the said edge to the sole.

3. The knee pad defined by claim 1, in which the means for holding the pad on the knee of a wearer consists of a pair of strap members each having an end located between the sole and the cushion layer, and rivets fastening said ends to the sole.

4. The knee pad defined by claim 1, in which each cleat comprises a plate, a tip depending from the plate, an externally threaded stud on the plate opposite the tip, and an internally threaded sleeve mounted in the sole for engagement by the threaded stud.

5. The knee pad defined by claim 1, in which the cleats are detachably fastened to the sole of the pad.

6. A knee pad for protecting the knees of Workers engaged in producing tile, epoxy and other plastic material surfaces, comprising (a) a relatively flat sole of moisture resistant material,

(b) a layer of cushioning material overlying and cemented to the sole,

(c) means for holding the pad on the knee of a wearer,

and

(d) a plurality of cleats fastened to and depending from the sole, located in spaced relationship adjacent the perimeter of the sole and near the longitudinal center of the sole in the forward and rearward portions thereof, but spaced from the center of the sole sur face, to provide non-tipping support to the pad when the weight of the wearer is shifted to one side or the other, leaving the central area opposite the knee 4 cap of the wearer free to conform to the contour of the knee.

7. The knee pad defined by claim 6, which includes a cuff extending upwardly from the forward end and sides of the sole, having its lower edge confined between the sole and cushion layer, and means fastening the said edge to the sole.

8. The knee pad defined by claim 6, in which the means for holding the pad on the knee of a wearer consists of a pair of strap members each having an end located between the sole and the cushion layer, and rivets fastening said ends to the sole.

9. The knee pad defined by claim 6, in which each cleat comprises a plate, a tip depending from the plate, an externally threaded stud on the plate opposite the tip, and an internally threaded sleeve mounted in the sole for engagement by the threaded stud.

10. The knee pad defined by claim 6, in which the cleats are detachably fastened to the sole of the pad.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 906,082 12/1908 Talbot 224 1,789,798 1/ 1931 Wineland 224 2,266,697 12/1941 Wilcox 362.5 2,479,793 8/1949 Tarlow 36-30 2,759,189 8/ 1956 Cole 224 FOREIGN PATENTS 679,089 9/1952 Great Britain 224 JAMES R. BOLER, Primary Examiner 

